


How Captain America Celebrates The Fourth of July

by TinyStorkIndustries



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fireworks, Fourth of July, M/M, SteveTony, Stony - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-04
Updated: 2015-07-04
Packaged: 2018-04-07 13:47:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4265496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinyStorkIndustries/pseuds/TinyStorkIndustries
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve loves fireworks. Tony hates public speaking. Happy fourth of July folks!</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Captain America Celebrates The Fourth of July

_Usually, at 5:30 pm on the fourth of July, the Rogers and the Barnes families would be together for a barbeque. Steve and Bucky would lead all the other children into the backyard, where they played games while Joseph grilled hamburgers for the group. The boy’s mothers would be preparing salads in the kitchen. Everyone was ready to celebrate._

At 5:30 pm this year on the fourth of July, Steve was pulling on pair of expensive black dress pants. He could hear Tony’s voice in bathroom as he spoke to his reflection in the mirror. Words he had practiced over and over for the past few days. Words that Steve was sure even Dum-E had memorized by now.

 

“Tony?” Steve called interrupting him as he stepped onto the cool tile floor. His boyfriend looked at him in the mirror for a moment before turning around. “Does this look okay?” Steve wore an expression similar to a pout. Give him a skin tight carbon polymer suit and he’d wear it no problem. But a suit suit?

 

Giving a short laugh, Tony helped Steve fix his collar and tie. “I think it looks great, but then again you could look great in anything Mr.Super-Soldier.” He retreated to his spot in front of the mirror. “Some of us have to work to look this good, you know.” Tony straightened his jacket with hands that shook just slightly.

 

Since Tony’s anxiety attacks had begun, he’d had trouble with public speaking. The idea of having to talk in front of hundreds made his stomach ache and his palms sweat. Up until recently, he’d given it up completely. That was until Steve forced him to ‘get back in the saddle’.

 

The soft tap of dress shoes echoed off the walls as Steve crept behind his boyfriend. He was careful not to wrinkle the Armani suit while winding his arms around Tony’s waist. “Don’t be nervous, you’ve done this a thousand times.” Steve pressed a small kiss behind Tony’s ear.

 

With a chuckle he countered “I’m Tony Stark, remember? I don’t get nervous.”

  
  


**[7:15]**

 

“Holy shit, I’m nervous..” Tony muttered as he paced the floor.

 

_Usually on the fourth of July at this time, the families would have finished eating and left the clean up for later. If you weren’t at the beach between 7:00 and 7:30 then all the best spots to watch fireworks were taken. Steve and Bucky used to race down the street on their way there, though it was never much of a competition. Bucky always won._

__  
  
  


Tony had been pacing since they arrived ten minutes ago. A flood of people greeted them in the lobby, including the ever present paparazzi. The couple was escorted to a little room somewhere backstage. Steve had already tried consoling the dark haired man, only to find it was best to leave him be.

  
  
  


**[7:30]**

_Usually on the fourth of July at this time, everyone in the neighbourhood of Greenpoint was gathered for the firework show. The show began at 9:00 pm when the sky was dark. Until then, families would sit together and tell stories, or sing songs. Steve could remember sitting on his father’s knee when he was especially small. Then a blanket at his mother’s feet. In his teenage years he and Bucky sat with friends from school_.

 

This year at 7:30 on the fourth of July, Steve Rogers was sitting front row in a lecture hall, waiting for Tony’s turn to speak. He forced himself to pay attention to the other speakers as well, though it was hard to focus while sitting in a chair that was not constructed for a 220 lbs muscle mass. Tony was speaking on the power of electromagnets. His speech wouldn’t come until after four others, all of which on something complex that Steve doesn’t understand. But he’s here for Tony, and that’s all that really matters.

  
**[8:30]**

Tony takes the stage with a confident smile on his face as the audience gives him a round of applause. Not one of them could guess what a wreck he’d been back stage before the show had begun. They couldn’t guess that the only reason he didn’t run screaming from a lecture these days were Steve’s words of comfort. There were notecards clutched in Tony’s right hand. His eyes didn’t so much as glance at them as he spoke. Steve mouthed the words along with him. Every one, until he changed the ending.

 

“I know I’ve been talking forever, so I’m going to let you all go in just a second. There’s just one last thing I’d like to say. Most of you in this room know that I haven’t been speaking in public nearly as much as I used to. One person in this room is the reason why I’m here tonight. I’d like to thank Steve Rogers for kicking my ass back into the saddle.” With a smirk, Tony raised a hand to wave at his boyfriend. “Thank you everyone and have a wonderful fourth of July!”

  
  
  
  
**[9:00]**

 

_Usually on the fourth of July at this time, Steve would look up at the sky hearing the whizz bang of the first firework. Every conversation stopped immediately as patrons gazed at the bursts of colour over the lake. The show started off with the smaller fireworks of course. The cherry bombs and roman candles. Sparkling fountains light up the beach, illuminating the faces of those closest. Tube after tube of firecrackers were set off. The grand finale was the same every year, but somehow never lost it’s spectacular touch. A giant red white and blue explosion that took up the entire beachfront sky. Steve and Bucky cheered side by side with the rest of the crowd. When it was over and everyone had gone home, all that remained were footprints in the sand and the faint scent of sulfur._

This year at 9:00, Steve is drifting through a crowded reception area with Tony’s arm wrapped securely around his waist. Everyone is carrying little flutes of champagne. His face hurts from all the smiling he’s done as he greets people. All the ‘hello Captain’s and the ‘and how are you two?’s are starting to wear on his patience. Steve swears if he hears Tony’s stupid joke about Sherlock Ohms, the electricity detective, he’s going to punch something.

 

Irritable and impatient were not qualities that Captain America usually possessed. Tonight, however, Steve was both of them. It could have to do with the fact that he was missing every fourth of July firework show in the state. Or it could be that he’d been tied down with this stupid gala on a day that was supposed to be celebrating his freedom. Captain America of all people should not be skipping annual celebrations on Independence Day.

 

Ready to give up on any hope he had of fireworks, Steve stopped a waiter carrying a tray of sparkling drinks. “Hey buddy? I’ll take a couple more of those, please.”

  
  


**[10:30]**

 

_Usually on the fourth of July at this time, Steve would’ve said goodnight to Bucky. The Rogers’ kitchen would be clean, and the dishes from earlier all put away. Joseph and Sara would’ve tucked their only son into bed and turned out the light. Then, Steve would stare up at his ceiling for a while and try to picture those fireworks right there in his room. With a happy vision and a good day full of memories under his belt, he’d be gone to sleep._

This year, Steve and Tony are driving home in the Audi. It was silent, except for the sound of the engine accelerating up the hill toward Stark mansion. Though he tried, Steve couldn’t keep the some-what pathetic pout off of his lips.

 

With a glance in his direction, Tony sighed. “Okay, I get it. What’s wrong?”

  
  


Steve sat up slightly, lifting his hand from it’s resting spot on his forehead. He debated saying he was just tired, but Tony could read him like a book. Letting out a long breath he answered. “I guess I’m just a little disappointed I didn’t get to see a firework show tonight. I used to go to the same one every year in Brooklyn.”

 

Pursing his lips as they pulled into the driveway, Tony nodded. “We didn’t really celebrate, did we Cap?”

 

They had pulled into the garage and parked the car before Steve spoke again. “No, we didn’t. That’s okay, though. I know today was huge for you and I’m welling with pride, really I am.”

 

“Like I said in the speech, it was all thanks to you I could even do it at all.” Tony shrugged a shoulder. “So, I’ve prepared a little thank you for you as my motivator. Let’s go to the roof.”

 

“The roof?”

 

Standing on the roof in a suit was not the way Steve pictured he’d be celebrating on the fourth of July, but here he was. Hands in his pockets, Tony strolled along the edge. “So, the same firework show every year? It must’ve gotten old.”

 

With a snort, he agreed. “Well, yeah. But I always looked forward to it.”

 

“Would you be opposed to a new firework show?”

 

Steve shook his head. “Tony, it’s almost 11:00, every show in New York is over.”

 

An air of defeat seemed to settle on the captain. He sat down, swinging his legs off the side of the building. Tony crossed the roof and took a seat beside him. “Not all of them.”With a raised voice, he called “Jarvis? It’s show time.”

 

Then just as soon as Steve had thought he’d miss out on a fireworks show, there was one right in front of him. At the sound of a large bang, he looked up to see cherry bombs and roman candle going off in the sky. A small smile grew larger on Steve’s face as firecrackers of every kind exploded in the sky. Older styles he’d seen as a kid and some newer ones that surprised him. Tony had thought of everything.

 

Barely able to tear his eyes away, Steve managed to turn to his boyfriend. No firework in all of New York could hold a candle to the way his face light up.  “You planned this, didn’t you?”

 

Tony’s grinned at his words. “Planned it? Nah, I just happened to have an hour’s worth of firecrackers laying around the house.”

 

No protest came from the dark haired man when Steve grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him in for a deep kiss.

  
  


**[11:00]**

  
This year at 11:00pm on the fourth of July, Steve Rogers is watching his own personal firework show. Beside him is the man who made it all possible. His one and only incredible boyfriend. He throws an arm around him with a smile and pulls him into his side. As the sky lights up with fantastic bursts of colour, Steve decides something. Every year at 11:00pm on the fourth of July, he’d like nothing else than to be sitting right here. 


End file.
